When Wind Finally Meets Earth
by Sabbie
Summary: Toph reflected on events in her life that shaped her for who she was as she readied herself for a duel with Aang. Mild swearing, Taang.


_Mori no oku de Umareta kaze ga_

_Harappa ni Hitori datsu nire no ki_

_Fuwari Kasume Yatte kita_

_Are wa kaze no toori michi_

Xxx

_We regret to inform you that the Bei Fong family, after long and careful deliberation has decided to disown Miss Toph Bei Fong. She has brought much disgrace in the family and the clan will no longer take to this abuse. Miss Toph is to renounce her titles as the family heir and any access to family heirloom or inheritance._

The words still echo in her head even ten years later after she discovered it. She winced as she put on her chest bands. Today was finally the day, and she wouldn't want to take what she had now for granted. She wanted to remember on how precious was everything that she had gained (and will gain). The letter was not something she liked to dwell on, but the clinical words stung like an alcohol rubbed in a fresh wound. Like any child in any family her parents drove her crazy, annoyed her and generally made her life miserable with their ridiculous nonsensical "rules", curfews and barriers they had set up to protect her. But at the end of the day, they were family. They were not anyone in the street that she could ignore or laugh at.

She suspected it was the same for Sparky. No matter how cruel and mean his little sister or his father were, they were still family. It was not an easy task for him to just break off all ties to them nor was it easy to have to face them in battles on the opposite end. She was the only one who kept the secret that after the war was over he retreated to a solitary place just to cry. He mentioned to her bitterly that when he was only three years old, when his mother was about to gave birth to his little sister; he had sworn that he was going to be the best big brother in the world. He had said how jealous he was at the Water siblings on how freely they joke and poke fun at each other, but at the end of the day when one of them got hurt, they'd avenge the other with a wrath only known to the Spirits themselves. She felt the same and sometimes she wished she had a sibling or two.

What kind of moron would throw away their child like a stray animal anyway? She reflected rather bitterly as she pulled up her hair in a large bun.

What the hell was she? Some sort of tool, like a knife, or chopsticks to be thrown away when she was no longer useful? On one hand she was glad that now she was free to do whatever she wanted, but at the same time a part of her was aching. And it was just so un-Toph-like to feel such heartbreak. Her alter ego, the Blind Bandit, was everything she never was. Strong, invincible, arrogant and blunt, everything she had wanted to be. Never in a million years that she would suspect that would she feel so hurt by her parents' rejection. They were supposed to get infuriated at her! They were supposed to shake their heads and go, "Tsk!" She was supposed to terrorize them like a cat-bear to hamster-mice and they'd be helpless too because she literally was the BEST earthbender in the world! But that was the time when the Blind Bandit was finally defeated and she wasn't used to that.

She buttoned her shirt and remember everything that she had thought of.

Damn.

Damn it all, she had sworn back then.

Where did she go wrong?

What was she supposed to do? Aang's training had finished. Everyone was going home and she had nowhere to go or any plans 'after' the war. Everyone had hoped for the best and expected for the worst. To make matters worse, she was the only one in the group that knew that Snoozles was going to propose to that floozy of a warrior. And the thing was, she couldn't exactly hurt Snoozles' future fiancée, because she knew about the moon lady and how hurt would he if anything had happened to her. So she could only stand there like a moron, unable to stop or do anything. She had nowhere else to go to. Everyone was leaving her. Sparky was now king, Sugarqueen was going to come back to South Pole, Snoozles would most likely settle in Kyoshi island for that floozy and Twinkletoes had to rebuild the air nomads.

And the event following that, still played very clearly on her mind, even after all the misadventures she experienced with him.

"Come with us." her trainee invited her.

His voice echoed like a soothing music and she could have sworn right at that moment, the world just stopped. All these times, fight, fight, fight, it was the only way she knew how to grab her future and seize her day. But when it became peaceful again what was she supposed to fight for? Who was she supposed to oppose, there was nothing else to fight? What the hell was she supposed to do? Her universe just collapsed but he single-handedly restored it. He gave her back what she needed most, a reason to fight, another reason to seize the day, and to be part of another family.

She smiled, remembering everything that she had gone through with him and the air nomads, her other family. Sure, some of them were wishy-washy morons who couldn't argue or fight back but they had accepted her for who she was. Stubborn, strong, invincible, a bit insensitive at times but all the same, family. Aang had joked, that had it not been to her persistence and strong will they wouldn't have gotten started building the air nomad culture back. Everyone else agreed with the avatar and laughed at this comment. Fire Lord Zuko (Lord and Mayor of Partytown, she nicknamed him, now) gravely agreed, he noted that there were only so much fun and games anyone could take. (to her secret pleasure, he was miserable when all he was asked to do was play games and he almost went crazy looking for something useful to do) Sweetness, her 'mother' said she couldn't have agreed more to her husband (Lord and Mayor of Partytown, Toph interjected, much to her annoyance) Sugarqueen later on observed that the Blind Bandit had taken her mantle as the 'mother' of the tribe. To her horror and embarrassment, she had to agree with her (secretly of course). It was such an ironic thing since she was so used to mock Katara for being motherly and responsible. And of course, Lord and Mayor of Partytown had to rub it in to her; his ickle widdle sistew had grown up. To make it worse, everyone went MUSHY and gushed at her and commented about how the times flew by. Goddamn, she had sworn two years ago, it was as if they did that on purpose, much like how Sugarqueen used to tease Snoozles.

She put on her armbands and chuckled at the memory.

After all these ten years she finally realized that the Blind Bandit could actually feel sad, rejected, worthless but most of all she finally learned that the Blind Bandit wasn't alone. That she has a big brother and a mother in the South Pole, 'father, brother' and grandfather in the Fire nation and her best friend (with many many benefits, she noted) in the air nomads.

She smiled to herself. She had been training herself to be able to listen to the wind, to sense its direction and to feel it. It was hard work and it was exhausting but she wouldn't have it any other way. Every single day, without fail she trained for eight hours until all her bones in her body felt like it melted. This was going to be the day that she'd beat Aang's airbending, and finally accept his proposal

So she walked outside with utmost the utmost confidence and found her beau who had been waiting patiently for her in the courtyards of the Western Air Temple.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and smirked.

Xxx

_Mori no oku de Umareta kaze ga_

_Harappa ni Hitori datsu nire no ki_

_Fuwari Kasume Kiete iku_

_Are wa Kaze no toori michi_


End file.
